Hot-water feeding for boilers



May 20,- 1-930. 3. o. 'A. FIEDLER HOT WATER FEEDING FOR BOILERS Filed May 19.. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l NN 3 mm. x mm w I? w? A QM I ZZZ .1

\NVENTOR;

May 20, 1930. s. o. A. FIEDLER HOT WATER FEEDING FOR BOILERS File'd May 19 192 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 awn i sabashen OTr'o Alfred led ler INVEN Patented May 20, 1930 STATES SEBASTIEN OTTO ALFRED FIEDLER, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR To LAUXIIJIAIRE DES CHEMINS DE FER ET DE LINDUSTRIE, 0F PARIS, FRANCE PATENT OFFICE HOT-WATER FEEDING FOR BOILERS Application filed May 19,1926, Serial no. 110,224, and in France May 29, 1925.

The invention relates to a plant for feeding locomotive boilers or other steam generators with hot water, said plant including a preheating device adapted to heat the feed water by means of the exhaust steam of the engine associated with the boiler, and also the other hot fluids which may be available in the power plant associated with the boiler.

The invention has for its primary object to provide a feed water plant so arranged that the boiler will be supplied only with hot Water at any desired instant (but especially at closed throttle, that is when the engine runs without consuming steam or is at rest), the heating requiring only the waste heat from the locomotive or other power plant without any consumption of live steam for heating purposes.

Attempts have already been made to supply boilers with hot water exclusively. But, in the known processes, it was necessary either to cut off the feeding at closed throttle, or to use live steam for-heating the feed water at closed throttle.

It will be seenvthat these two processes have great defects. 7

In the first case, if the boiler is supplied with water only when the engine is fed with steam i. e. when the throttle is open, the fire must be urged not only in order to produce the steam as fast as consumed, butalso in order to compensate for'the fall of pressure which is necessarily produced when the water enters the boiler; this intense firing, which .vas'necessary when running at open throttle, will become superfluous during the frequent periods where the engine runs without consulning steam, i. e. at closed throttle, so that the full benefit of this intensefiring will'not be obtained and a large amount of the heat developed in the fire place will be lost.

In the second case, and especially when the periods of feeding and non-feeding are frequently alternated, due to the particular outline of the longitudinal section of the track, the benefit of the pr'e-heating of the feed-water by means of exhaust steam and waste heat is considerably reduced or even lost in view of the large consumption of live steam required for heating purposes.

It was hence necessary, up to the present time, to feed the boiler almost exclusively at open throttle, that is when the full intensity of the firing must be used in order to secure an intense vaporization.

In order to comply with the conditions above indicated and to obviate the drawbacks just mentioned, an important feature of the invention consists in providing a hot water reserve supply, supplied by the preheating apparatus but independent of the latter and more particularly adapted to supply the boiler at closed throttle, that is during the periods when no exhaust steam from the engine is available, means being provided whereby any introduction of cold water into saidreserve supply and henceinto the boiler is prevented during such periods; otherwise stated, means are provided whereby any consumption of live steam for compensating the cooling of the feed water in the reserve supply at closed throttle is obviated. V

Due to the provision of a reservesupply of hot water, the feeding of the boiler and the formation: of the said reserve supplyofhotwater can be rendered wholly or partially independent from one another. I

Besides, when hot water from the reserve supply is delivered to the boiler, no cold water is mixed therewith and the use of live steam, to compensate for the cooling which would otherwise take place, willbe obviated; and on the otherhand, since the boiler can be supplied when the engine is running with the throttle closed, the feeding may be stopped, if desired, during the periods of running with the throttle open. In thls manner the fire will be simply kept up so as to produce steam as fast as it is consumed, and, during the periods of running with closed throttle, the excess of heat generated in the fire place will compensate for the fall of pressure produced in the boiler by the vaporlnation of the feeding water.

Without departing from the spir t, of the invention, the'boiler may obviously be supplied with the requisite amount of water even when the engine is running with open throttle, if this should be found necessary by reason of the operating conditions. At the same time, the reserve supply of hot water will be constituted, and the feeding water will also be preheated by exhaust steam. In other words, at open throttle the boiler may be fed directly with hot water from the preheater, independently of the hot water reserve supply, and during the same periods, the preheater may serve to feed the boiler, or the hot water tank, or both, as required, this being controlled either manually by the engine driver or automatically by the movements of the throttle or any other element of the valve control device.

The formation of the reserve supply of hot water may be obtained in the following manner:

(a) By an injector Working with the exhaust steam, drawing, heating and discharging the water into a suitable receptacle;

(6) or by a steam pump or a geared pump in combination with the feed Water preheater or with an auxiliary preheater;

(0) or by gravity. the water flowing directly from the feed tank to the aforesaid receptacle, which mav itself constitute an auxiliary preheater, of any known type, and distinct from the feed water preheat-er, the amount of water delivered to the said receptacle being regulated by any suitable means.

The hot water from the reserve supply may be delivered to the boiler by a. pump or by any other means, and the amount regulated in an automatic manner, according to the position of the valve control gear of the engme.

This invention further relates to a boiler feed water preheating plant particularly designed for preheating the feed water of locomotive boilers, and comprising two pumps, a cold Water pump. and a hot water pump, the cold water pump having a cylinder of larger capacity than the hot water pump; a feed water preheater adapted to discharge the excess of hot water corresponding to the clifference in delivery of the two pumps; and a hot water receptacle, distinct from the feed water preheater; the hot water pump may be used if desired to supply the said receptacle, butthe latter will in all cases receive the overflow of hot water from the feed water preheater.

Further characteristics of the invention will be disclosed in the following description with reference to the appended drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows in diagrannnatical elevation an installation according to the invention associated with a locomotive boiler, the tender, the pre-heater, the hot water tank and the driver cab being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is an axial section of a controlling valve, in the position corresponding to the throttle open.

Fig. 3 is an axial section of another controlling valve, in the position corresponding to the throttle open.

F ig. l is a section of the three-way cock in the position of feeding at open throttle.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic showing of the arrangement.

60 is the locomotive boiler, of the multitubular type, for example, 64 is the dome, 54 the engine with its valve chest 53, connected to the dome 64 by a piping 65. The admission of steam from dome 64 into pipe 65 is controlled by the throttle 70, actuated by the throttle lever 72 through the medium of a rod 71. 56 denotes the exhaust pipe and 57 the blast pipe. A large pipe 52 opens at one end into a first compartment 77 of the water preheater A, extends partly through the smoke box 55 and opens at its other end into the blast pipe 57.

The feed water plant herein represented comprises the feed water preheater A working with the exhaust steam of the engine, as well as the exhaust steam of all the accessory engines such as the motor cylinder 8 of the feed pumps 6, 7, the motor cylinder 73 of the air pump 74, the turbine-motors serving for the electric lighting (not shown), etc. 75 is for example a steam exhaust pipe leading from cylinder 73 into the compartment 77 and 76 a steam exhaust pipe leading from cylinder 8 into the compartment 77.

The preheater may be, for example, of the type disclosed in the U. S. Patent No. 1,537 ,072, and it comprises (Fig. 1 or 5) two separate main chambers 50 and 51 connected by a pipe 58, one of the said chambers communica ting with the atmosphere through the conduit 3, the other chamber 50 constituting the mixing chamber into which opens the steam pipe 52.

In practice, chambers 50 and 51 are disposed on either side of the middle longitudinal plane of the locomotive but are shown in the same plane in the drawing for the sake of clearness.

t will be seen that the water flows in the first compartment of chamber 51 from bottom to top and falls therefrom into the main chamber 1 through a certain height. thus facilitating the escape of gases, bubbles, etc. The level in chamber 1 is kept constant by an overflow compartment 2. The said compartment 2 discharges into the hot Water tank B through the conduit 4:, and the chamber 1 communicates through the conduit 5 with the hot water pump 6 which is mounted in tandem with the cold water pump 7 and the steam motor engine 8. The cylinder of the cold water pump 7 has a larger capacity than the cylinder of the hot water pump 6. If for any reason, the pipes 5 and 4 become clogged up, for example by reason of scale deposits, the amount of water entering chamber 51 becomes larger than the amount of water discharged therefrom. Chamber 51 will be rapidly completely filled, and also chamber 50; the excess of water will then flow into the exhaust steam admission pipe 52 and thence into the engine valve chestv dropping from tube 9. He may thus stop the feed pump and immediately effect the necessary cleaning of tubes 5 and 4.

The mixing chamber 50 of the preheater is supplied with cold water delivered by the pump 7 through the conduit 11 extending through the smoke box 55 and heated by the burnt gases before they escape to' the atmosphere. Chamber 50 is further supplied through the conduits 12' and 12 with the hot water produced by'the-condensation of live steam in the valves C and D, as will be further set forth.

'The hot water tank B communicates with the atmosphere through the vertical pipe 13. The pipe 14 opening into the bottom of the said tank extends vertically, is then bent horizontally, at a level above the maximum level of the water in the tender F and terminates in a suction vessel E. Said pipe 14 communicates with the atmosphere through the'conduit 14 The tank. B is connected with the valve C through the conduit 15, opening into the top of the tank, and with the valve D through the conduit 16, opening at the bottom of the said tank.

The valve C .(Fig. 2) comprises the main body 17 forming two cylindrical chambers 18 and 19 of different diameters, and two chambers 20 and 21 limited by the upper and lower walls of the main body and the seats of the valves 22and 23. The said valves are mounted, together with pistons 24 and 25, upon a common rod 26". The chamber 21 is connected through a pipe 27 with the steam motor cylinder 8; the chamber 18 is connected with a steam intake .48 by a pipe 28 upon which are mounted a water trap 29 and a cook 30 To the upper-part of the chamber19 is connected thepipe 15, and the chamber. 20 com municatesthrough the conduit 31 connected with the pipe 32 leading from the pump 6 with the water inlet valve casing33 of the boiler. To the lower part of the chamber 19 is connected the pipe 12 and also a pipe 34 which leads to a three-way cock 35 which can be actuated by the engine driver from the position of Fig. 1 to the position of Fig. 4 and vice-versa. When in the position of Fig.- 4,the three-way cook 35 is adapted to it is further connected through the pipe43 with the cock 35, and through the pipe 12, with the preheater. Into the said chamber and at different heights, open the conduit44 leading fromthe vessel E, the conduit 45 leadingto the pump 7, and the conduit 16 leading to the hot water tank B. The pipe 46 connects the chamber 37 with the conduit 28. Vessel E is connected by tube 61 and a flexible joint 63 to a tube 62 opening at the bottom of tender'F.

The operation of the plant is as follows: The engine throttle being in the open position live steam passes from dome'64 to valve chest 53; it is assumed that the three-way cook 35 is inthe position shown in Fig. 1, so that live steam from the slide valve chest 53 -fiows"through pipe 42 to chamber 36 and then through pipe 43, cook 35 and-pipe 34 to chamber 19. The chambers 19 and 36' of the valves C and D are thus filled with live steam at high pressure, which acts upon the pistons 25 and 38 and maintains them in the position shown in the figure. It will be seen that piston 38 has a larger diameter thanp'iston 40 in order to allow the upward motion of" the pistons under the effect of the exhaust pressure notwithstanding the pressure of the live steam in chamber 37-. The c'ock30 being opened so as to deliver the proper amount of steam, the live steam from the boiler will flow in a small quantity, through the chamber 21 whose valve 23' is slightly open into the steam motor cylinder 8. The cylinder 7 withdraws cold water from the tender F through the suction vessel E and the pipes '44 and 45, and discharges it through the pipe 11 into, the preheater A. The water heated in chamber 50 flows into chamber 51 of the heater. A portion of the hot water is led through the pipe 5 to the hot water pump 6; since the tank B is opened to the atmosphere whilst the valve casing 33 is at the boiler pressure, the pump 6 will deliver the hot water to the tank B, through the" chamber 20 whose valve 22 is lifted.

. The excess of hot water in the chamber" 1 will flow into the compartment 2, and thence through the pipe 4 into the tank B.-

If, due to a declivity' of the track or for any other reason, the throttle-hasbeen closed, the steam pressure will no; longer act in the chamber 36 of the valve D, nor in thechamber 19 of the valve O. The rod 41 of the valve D will be lowered under the action of the live steam supplied by the" conduit 46 above the piston 40, and the piston 39. will cut off the connection between the pipes 44: and 4:5 and will put the communication between the pipes 16 and 45. The rod of the valve C is lowered under the action of the spring controlling the valve 22, and the live steam from the boiler proceeds into the steam motor cylinder 8. The pump 7 withdraws water from the tank B and delivers it through the pipe 11 into the preheater, and said water will recover the heat contained in the exhaust steam from the steam motor cylinders 8 and 73 of the air compressing pump and feed water pump respectively, said steam being delivered to the mixing chamber 50 of the preheater through pipes 75 and 76 (said pipes not being controlled by the throttle A portion of this water is led-as in the pre ceding case-into the pump 6 and thence to the boiler through the inlet casing 33. The excess of water from the chamber 1 flows into the chamber 2 and returns through the pipe 4 into the tank B.

hen running with closed throttle, the heat contained in the hot water produced by the condensation of live steam in the valves C and D will also be recovered, since said water is led to the mixing chamber through the tubes 12 and 12 The heat of the burnt gases is recovered by the feed water in any suitable manner.

If, during a long period of operation without stopping, it is desired to feed the boiler with the throttle open, the driver will only have to turn the cock 35 from the position shown in Fig. 1 into the position shown in Fig. 4:. This will have no effect upon the valve D, whose operation is independent of the position of the cock 35. On the contrary, the chamber 19 will be put into co1n1nunication with the atmosphere through pipes 8 and 49; the rod of the valve C will be lowered, thus cutting off the connection between the pump 6 and the tank B; the valve 23 will open to the maximum for the admission of steam to the steam motor cylinder 8, and the valve 22 will close. The pump 7 still withdraws water from the tender through the pipes 44 and 45 and delivers it to the preheater. A portion of this water flows through the pipe 5 into the hot water pump 6, which forces it into the boiler. The excess of hot water delivered into the chamber 1 by reason of the difference between the delivery of the pumps 6 and 7 will flow into the compartment 2 and thence into the tank B where in it will accumulate and may be used as soon as the engine runs with the throttle in the closed position. \Vhen the tank B is entirely filled, the excess of water will flow through the pipe lat into the suction vessel E whence it will be withdrawn by the cold water pump 7. Since the pipe 1% is immersed clear to the bottom of the tank B, the coldest water from this tank will thus be brought to the vessel E; inasmuch as the pipe 14 rises above the level of the water in the tender, water from the tender will not flow directly into tank B through said pipe.

When the tank B is full, the water rises through the pipe 4 into the compartment 2 of the preheater A and thus attains the inlet orifice of the pipe 9, so that the excess of water in the compartment 2 will be discharged through the pipe 9, to the drip pan 1O placed adjacent the engine driver; as soon as the discharge takes place, he can thus stop the pump by closing the cock 30.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that, when the engine is running with closed throttle, or when the engine is at rest, the boiler may be supplied with hot water. In order to stop the boiler feeding and prevent the hot water reserve supply to be unduly consumed, it will be sufiicient to close the cock 30; the steam cylinder 8 being stopped, the boiler will no longer be supplied.

To recapitulate, it will be readily observed that, by reason of the arrangementin use, when the throttle is closed, and irrespectively of the position of the cock 35, the cold water pump cannot withdraw water from the tender, but is adapted to automatically withdraw hot water from the tank B, and this preventsin the most reliable mannerall delivery of cold water into the hot water recipient, and the introduction of cold water into the boiler. When the throttle is in the open position, the driver, by simply turning the cock 35 into one of its two positions, will perform at will either of the following operations:

(a) Filling the hot water tank, i. e. using the whole output of the injector and the preheater to constitute the hot water reserve supply, the feed to the boiler being automatically cut off;

(6) Supplying the boiler with water if, for any special reasons, the engine driver is obliged to feed the boiler with the throttle open, while at the same time supplying the hot water reserve supply with hot water by means of the overflow from the preheater, i. e. using only a portion of the output of the preheater to feed the reserve supply.

Moreover, due to the provision of valves C and D which are controlled by the pres sure of the live steam from the slide valve chest of the engine, the feeding at open throttle may be effected at will according to the position of the cock 35, and the feeding at closed throttle takes place automatically.

Obviously, the said invention is not limited to the construction hereinbefore set forth, which is given solely by way of exam ple. In particular, the form of construction of the valves, which are shown in a diagrammatic manner, is not limited to such form. Although said valves are herein actuated by the live steam from the valve chest, they may be directly controlled by hand or automatically, by means of a suitable operative connection with any element of the valve control device. 7 V

In this latter case, for the cock 35 will obviously be substituted any other sutable mechanical means, whereby the movements of the throttle, or other control members, will .be transmitted. only 7 when desired to the valves C and D or like means.

The pumps 6 and 7 may also be mechanically controlled by the movable parts ofthe engine.

It should be noted that, in the appended claims, I mean by injecting means.the hot water pump 6, or any other equivalent de vice adapted to force water into the boiler and that I exclude the cold water pump, which is merely a circulating pump and whose provision is not essential for the proper operation of the plant, inasmuch as water may flow from the source of cold water to the heater by gravity.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. With a steam power plant including a source of cold water, a boiler and a prime mover adapted to be supplied with steam from said boiler, the combination of a water heater connected to said source of cold water, means for heating the water in said heater with waste heat from said power plant, a tank, means for supplying said tank with hot water from said heater, injecting means for feeding said boiler, means for connecting the inlet of said injecting means with said tank and means actuated by the stoppage of steam to said prime mover for allowing the flow of water from said tank to said injecting means and for means actuated by the stoppage of steam to said prime mover preventing the flow of water from said source of cold water to said heater. 2. With a steam power plant including a source of cold Water, a boiler, injecting means for feeding said boiler, a prime mover adapted to be supplied with steam from said boiler, and continuously working steam opera-ted apparatus, the combination of a feed water heater, means for supplying said heater with exhaust steam from said prime mover, means for continuously supplying said heater with exhaust steam from said apparatus, a hot water tank having supply connection with said heater and having a water outlet, means for connecting said heater with the intake of said injecting means and means actuated by the admission and stoppage of steam to said prime mover, for alternatively connecting said feed water heater with said source of cold water and the outlet of said tank, respectively.

3. With a steam power plant including a source of cold water, a boiler and a prime mover adaptedto be supplied with steam from said boiler, the combination of a feed water heating plant comprising a heater supplied by said sourceof cold water, means for heating the water in said heater with waste heat from said power plant, a tank, inject ing means connected to supply sai-dboiler or said tank and to be supplied with water stored up in said tank, means for connecting said heater with the intakev of said injecting means, automatic control means actuated by the stoppage of steam to said prime mover for stopping the supply ofsaid tank by said injecting means, and automaticcontrol means actuated by the admission and stoppage of steam to said: prime mover for alternatively preventing and allowing the outflow of Water from said tank, respectively.

4. In the combination claimed in claim 3, manually actuated meansassociated with said first mentioned automatic control member and adapted to afford or prevent the operation of the latter.

5. In the combination claimed in claim 3, means actuated by the admission of steam into said prime mover for throttling the admissionot live steam to said injecting means.

6. lVith a steam power plant including a source of cold water, a boiler and a' prime from said boiler, the combination of a feed water heating plant comprising a heater supplied by said source of cold water, means for heating the water in said heater withwaste heat from said power plant, atank, injecting means connected toalternatively supply said means and'automatic control means actuated.

by the admission and stoppage of steam to said prime mover for alternatively preventing and allowing the outflow-of water from said tank, respectively.

7. l/Vith a steam power plant including a source of cold water, a boiler and a, prime mover adapted to be supplied with steam .95 mover adapted to be supplied with steam from said boiler, thecombination of a feed water heating plant, comprising a heater supplied by saidv source of cold water, means for heating the .water in said heater with waste heat from said power plant, a tank supplied by said heater, injecting means connected to feed the boiler and havingsupply connections with said tankand a double valve controlled by the admission of steam into said prime mover for. controlling thecommunication'between said source of coldwater and said heater and the outflow of water from said tank. r

8. With a steam power plant including a source of cold water, a boiler and a prime mover adapted to be supplied with steam from said boiler, the combination of a feed water heating plant comprising a heater supplied by said source of cold water, means for heating the water in said heater with waste heat from said power plant, a tank supplied by said heater, injecting means for feeding the boiler and having supply connections with said tank, a connection between said heater and the intake of said injecting means, by-pass means between the outlet of said injecting means and said tank, a steam actuated valve adapted to control said by-pass means, a steam pipe adapted to supply live steam from said prime mover to said Valve, a manually operated cock on said steam pipe, and automatic means actuated by the admission and stoppage of steam to said prime mover for preventing and allowing the outflow of water from said tank, respectively.

9. With a steam power plant including a source of cold water, a boiler and a prime mover adapted to be supplied with steam from said boiler, the combination of a feed water heating plant comprising a heater supplied by said source of cold water, means for heating the water in said heater with waste heat from said power plant, a tank supplied by said water heater, injecting means for feeding the boiler and having sup ply connections with said tank, a connection between said heater and the intake of said injecting means, by-pass means between the outlet of said injecting means and said tank, a valve in said by-pass means, automatically means actuated by the admission of live steam into said prime mover for controlling said valve, manually controlled means for stopping the operation of said automatic means, and further automatic means actuated by the admission and stoppage of steam to said prime mover for preventing and allowing the outflow of water from said tank, respectively.

10. With a steam power plant including a source of cold water, a boiler and a prime mover adapted to be supplied with steam from said boiler, the combination of a feed water heating plant comprising a heater, means for heating the water in said heater with waste heat from said power plant, means for supplying said heater with water from said source of cold water, a tank, injecting means for feeding said boiler having a smaller maximum output than said heater and having supply connections with said tank, means for connecting said heater with the intake of said injecting means, means actuated by the admission and stoppage of steam into said prime mover for alternatively allowing and preventing the feeding of the boiler by said injecting means, respectively, means whereby an excess of water from said heater is supplied to said tank, and automatic means actuated by the admission and stop page of steam to said prime mover for preventing and allowing the outflow of water from said tank, respectively.

11. With a steam power plant including a source of cold water, a boiler and a prime mover adapted to be supplied with steam from said boiler, the combination of a feed water heater connected to said source of cold water, means for heating the water in said heater with waste heat from said power plant, a hot water tank having supply connection with said heater, injecting means connected to feed said boiler and to be supplied with water stored ujp in said tank, a connection between said heater and the intake of said injecting means, a first automatic control member actuated by the admission of steam to said prime mover for allowing the flow of cold water from said source and a further automatic control member actuated by the admission of steam to said prime mover, for stopping the outflow of water from said hot water tank.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

SEBASTIEN OTTO ALFRED FIEDLER. 

